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By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin
It was June 1974. Israel was still reeling from the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War. The long-term rehab centers were filled with injured soldiers. My mother a”h received a call from the IDF… “Rabbanit, can you please come and speak to our injured soldiers? So many are still hurting, so many are nursing physical, spiritual and emotional wounds. Rabbanit, you will find the right words to say to them. Words of chizuk, strength and healing. Words of compassion and understanding.”
How could my mother say no. And, with my father’s and grandfather’s brachos, she was off to Eretz Yisroel.
Being the eldest daughter, I had the privilege of joining my mother.
Our days were filled. We traveled from north to south, and not just to rehabs, but also to army camps. HaShem was with my mother, and day in and day out, she found the strength to speak words of inspiration in a perfect Hebrew.
I remember my mother’s opening words. Words taken from the beautiful tefila of Av Harachamim, Father of Compassion. “…May He recall with compassion ha’chassidim, the devout, ha’yesharim, the upright, ha’temimim, the perfect, who gave their lives for kiddush HaShem… minesharim kalu, swifter than eagles, u’mei’aroyos gaveiru, and stronger than lions, to do their Creator’s will…”
My mother continued. “Hincha Yehudi, You are a Jew. You have given birth to every ideal that has shaped mankind. Justice, peace, love, and the dignity of man, have all had their genesis in your Torah. But above all, you have been given the unique mission of proclaiming the oneness of G-d.”
There were so many wounded. So many missing limbs, in body casts, or confined to wheelchairs. As my mother spoke, the hardened faces softened. The pintele Yid was awakened. The spark within the neshama was ignited.
My mother began to cry as she spoke, and all those in room (myself included) did so too. It was the same in the army camps. The war-toughened soldiers all became misty eyed.
It was fifty years ago. There were few and far between religious soldiers in the IDF. My mother was addressing a mostly secular audience. But that didn’t deter her from delivering a powerful message. “Hincha Yehudi, You are a Jew”, my mother continued. “You have known every form of oppression. Your body has been scorched by fire. You are weary, you have forgotten your past. But there is one prayer you remember, a prayer that connects you to your ancestors. A prayer that speaks of your mission. Shema Yisrael.”
We had brought along yarmulkes which I had the job, actually the pleasure, of distributing to the soldiers. And they all eagerly accepted them. Hearing my mother’s words, the soldiers joined together in saying Shema Yisrael.
I could close my eyes and hear my mother’s voice. “Chayal chazak, strong, valiant soldier, from where do you get your strength?”
My mother spoke about Avraham Avinu. Avraham, who endured the most difficult test, the test of the Akeida, the ultimate test of sacrifice.
In this week’s parsha of Vayeira, we learn of Avraham’s final and most difficult challenge, to sacrifice his son Yitzchak. “V’haElokim nisah es Avraham, and HaShem tested Avraham,… Vayomer Hineni, and Avraham answered, here I am” (Bereishis 22:1)
Ma’aseh avos siman l’bonim, The actions of the fathers are a sign for the children. The life events of our ancestors are our life lessons. As we say in Tehillim, “Mizkeinim esbonan, from elders I gain understanding. (Tehillim 119:100)
The Akeida is one of the most difficult episodes in Chumash to understand. The Abarbanel explains the Akeida as a seminal event for both Avraham and the future Jewish nation manifesting the desire to serve HaShem no matter how difficult and challenging the circumstances. The Akeida wasn’t just for Avraham, but for generations to come. It is the story and source of our existence. Just as we inherit hair color and eye color, musical talents and artistic talents, so do we inherit spiritual genes. Genes that go back to Avraham. Genes that give us the strength to say Hineni, no matter what life brings our way.
At the end, there was no sacrifice. HaShem stops Avraham. “Ki ata yodati, because now I know, that you are a G-d fearing man.” Rashi, citing a Midrash, explains that Avraham was confused by HaShem’s seemingly contradictory instructions. To which HaShem tells Avraham “I will not deviate from that which I told you. I did not say ‘slaughter him’, but rather ‘bring him up’, and now that you have brought him up, take him down.” (Rashi, Bereishis 22:12)
Avraham passed the test not just for himself, but for his descendants. A test of strong will and devotion. Traits that give us the resolve to survive the ages. A test that created a gene of devotion to HaShem, and to our people.
Rav Shamshon Refoel Hirsch teaches that at the time of the Akeida, Yitzchak was no longer a child. He was an adult of thirty-seven. His greatness of spirit was no less than that of Avraham, as he was ready to sacrifice himself. This is the source of mesiras nefesh, the giving of one’s very being, that would be passed on to generations to come.
Once again, our young soldiers are being called upon to put their lives on the line. They know only too well the dangers that lie ahead of them. Yet, they go. They are living the Akeida. Surrounded on all fronts. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran, etc. Once again, we are fighting for our land. For the hostages that remain in captivity. For our very survival as a nation. And, it’s not just our brothers and sisters in Israel. It’s the Jewish people worldwide. Do we need any more proof of this than the blood-thirsty pogrom that just took place in Amsterdam. A mob attacking Jews for one reason. Because they are Jews.
“Chayal chazak, strong valiant soldier”, my mother asked. “From where do you derive your strength?” From Avraham and Yitzchak. From those throughout the generations before us who were willing to – and often did – sacrifice themselves for the sake of HaShem.
When my mother started her kiruv organization, it needed a name. She chose Hineni, Here I Am. Words called out by Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, Shmuel and Yeshayahu. My mother said that so many of our great leaders said Hineni, and now it is time for each of us to say to HaShem, Hineni, I too, am ready to commit.
Let us hope that HaShem will speak to our generation, as He spoke to Avraham, “Ata yadati, Now I know that you are a G-d fearing people”, and He will finally bring an end to all of the difficult and bitter tests that we are living through, and bring us the final geulah, speedily in our days. Amein.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chaya Sora
Chaya Sora can be reached at [email protected]
This article was written L’zecher Nishmas/In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l
